Manchester United are 58 points in one game by the end of the season and will register their lowest total of points from 1990-91, when they scored 59 points and finished sixth.
“You’re not fit to wear a shirt.”
Brighton, a team that did not win at home in 2022, rebelled at Amex Stadium in the barely believable 90 minutes of football, in which United were humiliated, outplayed, outplayed and outplayed.
The Seagulls have won just three times in 27 games against the 20-time English champions. The fourth was the night of Brighton, aiming to finish in the top half of the championship for the first time in its 121-year history that it will never forget.
Moses Caicedo and Marc Cucurella scored their first goals in the Premier League before Pascal Gross calmly added a third and Leandro Trosar entered the fourth with 30 minutes to go. Meanwhile, United did not even register a shot on goal until the 56th minute, when with 2: 0.
Moses Caicedo, 20, put Brighton ahead in just 15 minutes
As Trosar’s goal was checked by a video assistant referee for a potential handball, United fans showed their anger at their own players.
The chorus “you are not fit to wear the shirt” was not aimed at a specific person, it showed collective anger and frustration at a country that is now guaranteed to garner United’s lowest points since 1990-91.
However, the fans of the guests remained in large numbers until the end and created a memorable atmosphere after expressing their point. But it was no mistake that the players disappointed the fans.
Ralph Rangnik, in his penultimate six-month lead as interim boss after the club fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November, looked embarrassed by his team at the final referee signal.
“It was a terrible performance,” said the German, who was not allowed to reinforce his squad through the January transfer window as Anthony Marcial and Donnie van de Beek left on loan.
“From the first to the last minute this was not enough, we can only apologize for this performance and the humiliating defeat.
“We have never been in a position to stop them from playing on our lines. We told the players to be as compact as possible, but we couldn’t stop it.
“I don’t think they ignored the game plan, but we couldn’t stop them. We gave them too much space and if you do it against a technically good team like Brighton, you will be punished.”
This season cannot end quickly enough for United. This result put an end to their slim hopes for football in the Champions League next term and even a place in the Europa League is not guaranteed. Relegation to the third tier of the European Conference League is a real possibility.
Eric ten Haag, who could win the Dutch Eredivisie with Ajax on Sunday for the third time in four years, is the man tasked with rebuilding the club.
With each passing day, the work seems more and more difficult.
Of their last 12 goals, 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo has scored nine. But he reduced frustrated, took a reservation and had limited services on Saturday.
Will he be ready to stay and maybe play in the third level of European football next season, or will he want another crack in the Champions League, a trophy he has won five times?
And will Ten Hag want to build its country around a 38-year-old player in February, no matter how talented? United is a team that needs a full recovery. Rangnik almost said this earlier this week when asked what positions they are strong enough for. Goalkeeper was the answer.
Man United are “just not good enough” – Ranknik
After finishing second last season, United’s progress not only stopped but turned around. Without Ronaldo’s 18 goals in the Premier League, they would not have competed in any European competition next year, and perhaps even in the top half.
League leader Manchester City have lost just 19 points all season, a figure United leveled off in November on another humiliating day when they lost 4-1 to Watford, a result that has cost Solskjaer his job.
In front of Amex’s record audience of 31,637, this defeat felt even more humiliating than this loss or the 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool, the 4-0 defeat in the rematch at Anfield or the 4-1 defeat at Manchester City.
The Brighton players tried party tricks, Diogo Dalot’s Kukurela nut was applauded as loudly as any goal. Every touch of the ball from the blue and white shirt received an ole from the audience – and the profit could and probably should have been even greater.
Alexis McAllister shot against the outside of the crossbar, and Danny Welbeck, against his old club, was unlucky not to score a late heel with a great effort.
United reserve captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted that fans of his team have the right to shout “you are not fit to wear the shirt”.
“What we did, what we did, was not enough to be with the Manchester United shirt and I accept it,” Fernandes said.
“They outplayed us, they always had a decision, they pressed us better and they deserved the result.
“A bit of everything [went wrong]. Quality. Mentality. They deserved to win and we deserve to be in the position we are in now.
“It’s something we have to look at and be ashamed of, because it wasn’t good enough for us and we have to do much better.
“I signed my contract because I think the future can be good, but obviously a lot of things need to be fixed, as we saw this season.
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